News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-07-21
FROM WASHINGTON.
TFrom our Regular Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. c.,
july u, 1887.

July 1-s AOOa'
The other day when an investlga-
ton of the accounts of Levi Bacon
late financial clerk of the Patent Of
fee revealed the fact that ne was
defaulter to the sum of $4,000, the
wonder and excitement of the clerks,
who few days before had solemnly
resolved that the death of such an Oh
fetal was a public calamity and that
his devotion to duty and sterling in
tegrity were worthy Of emulation and
admiration, may be family Imagined
but not accurately described. 1t had
been Bacon's custom to prepay the
salaries of his friends for months IN
advance-one had drawn SOU more
than was due-and so quite a number
of the clerks felt a sorrow very per-
sonal, for scores of due-bills had told
their own story. The Secretary gave
stringent orders to deduct all these
amounts from the salaries of the de-
Ifnquents, and as result some OF
them will not handle any government
cash in several months. Mr.. Jas. L.
Norris, chairman of the Democratic
Executive Committee of the District
of Columbia, a prominent patent at
torney, is also a sincere mourner, as
he is one of Bacon's bondsmen.
The one hundred and forty-ninth
call for 9,716, 900 per cent. bonds
matured on July 1st, and since then
S15,512,6OO of the bonds have been
redeemed by the Treasury Depart
ment, having S4, 2O4, 900 of that call
outstanding. OF the bonds redeemed,
81, 0OO,OOO have been deposited with
the United States Treasurer to secure
national circulation. The per cent.
loan amounted to $780,, 250, 900, all of
which has been called, but the amount
redeemed to date is S294,019,9 $50,
leaving a balance outstanding of
s8,239,O5O.
Since the 1st instant the Treasury
has paid out about So, 100000 in
pensions and so far this month the
disbursements exceed the receipts by
more than 50 ,OOO,O and there is ev-
cry indication that this ratio will be
maintained, if not increased, through
out the month. At the Treasury De-
partment it is claimed that the heavy
disbursements to be made between
now and Sept. 1st will reduce the sur
plus in the treasury to about $50, 0OO,-
900. But after then, what? Unless
there is some unforeseen reliefthe over
flow in the Treasury vaults will con-
tinue, producing such a widespread
and ruinous panic that one shudders
when contemplating the consequences.
The only consoling and comforting re-
suit that your correspondent can
evolve from such a probable public
loss will be the final and utter over
throw of the Democracy; but the
question would be whether the game
is worth the candle, as their defeat in
the next Presidential campaign is al
most certain, independent of their
financial policy.
Rev. Alexander Cummell, D. D.,
rector of St. Luke's Episcopal church
in Washington, and one Of the ablest
and most distinguished of colored
men, has written an interesting and
instructive paper on the social and
moral progress of his race in this city,
in which he holds, among other things,
that sssince emancipation fully one
third of the black race has risen to a
superiority which runs parallel with
the level of white society in this coun-
try" Writing of the condition of his
people in the South he says: 1.-The
freed people of the South are fleeing
in large numbers from the rural dis
tricts and overlooking both the large
cities on the Atlantic sea-board and
most of the great internal cities and
inland towns. What causes this vast
exodus? 1t is owing chiefly to the vile
state of semi-serfdom into which the
black farming population is held, and
which has taken the place of the old
system of slavery" He goes on to
show that by means of the odious ten
ant system of the South the colored